1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a peripheral device such as a printer, scanner, facsimile, photocopier, etc., controlled by an information processing device via a connection from such as a network, IEEE 1394, etc., and to a peripheral device control method, peripheral device control system, storage medium for storing peripheral device control programs, sending device for sending peripheral device control programs, and peripheral device control program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the event that a job is submitted from a host computer (information processing device) to a printer, scanner, facsimile, photocopier, etc., connected to a network or the like, devices having a large-capacity storage device have come to be able to internally store a great number of jobs in a simultaneous manner. Normally, jobs are processes according to the First-In First-Serve (FIFS) method, based on the order of the jobs being submitted.
With conventional peripheral devices, particularly with multi-functional peripheral devices such as arrangements wherein printer, scanner, facsimile, and photocopier functions are provided within a single housing, control of interruption jobs has not been achieved.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a user-friendly multifunctional peripheral device, peripheral device control method, peripheral device control system, and storage medium for storing peripheral device control programs.
The peripheral device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a peripheral device connected to an information processing device, the peripheral device comprising: software, such as a plurality of device control programs, for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines; and control means for selecting and executing a device control program other than the device control program currently executing, in the event that an interruption job is input from the information processing device during the processing of a job by executing one of the plurality of device control programs.
The peripheral device control method according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a peripheral device control method for a peripheral device connected to an information processing device, wherein, in the event that an interruption job is input from an information processing device during the processing of a job by executing one of a plurality of device control programs for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines, a device control program other than the device control program currently executing is selected and executed.
The storage medium according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a storage medium storing a peripheral device control program executed by a peripheral device connected to an information processing device, the storage medium storing a peripheral device control program, which, in the event that an interruption job is input from an information processing device during the processing of a job by executing one of a plurality of device control programs for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines, selects and executes a device control program other than the device control program currently executing.
The peripheral device control system according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a peripheral device control system consisting of an information processing device and a peripheral device, the peripheral device control system comprising: an output means for outputting jobs to the peripheral device; a plurality of device control programs for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines; and control means for selecting and executing a device control program other than the device control program currently executing, in the event that an interruption job is output to the information processing device from the output means during the processing of a job by executing one of the plurality of device control programs.
The sending device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a sending device for sending device control programs executed by a peripheral device connected to an information processing device, wherein, in the event that an interruption job is input from the information processing device during the processing of a job by executing one of a plurality of peripheral device control programs for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines, the sending device sends a peripheral device control program which selects and executes a device control program other than the device control program currently executing.
The peripheral device control program product according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a peripheral device control program product executed by a peripheral device connected to an information processing device, wherein, in the event that an interruption job is input from an information processing device during the processing of a job by executing one of a plurality of device control programs for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines, a device control program other than the device control program currently executing is selected and executed.
Accordingly, with a peripheral device connected to an information processing device, in the event that an interruption job is input from an information processing device during the processing of a job by executing one of a plurality of device control programs for maintaining the functions of a plurality of device engines of the peripheral device and for managing jobs with the device engines, a device control program other than the device control program currently executing can be selected and executed.
Also, a device control program may save the executing context of the job being executed at the time that the interruption job was input, and restore the saved job execution context upon completion of the interruption job execution.
Also, multiple input of other interruption jobs may be prevented during execution of an interruption job.
Also, in the event that an interruption copy job is input, an arbitrary printer control program for maintaining the functions of the printer engine of the peripheral device and for managing the job at the printer engine may be selected, following the job being provided to a scanner control program for maintaining the functions of the scanner engine of the peripheral device and for managing the job at the scanner engine.
Also, a list of identification information such as icons corresponding to the device control programs for the peripheral device is displayed on the display device of the information processing device, and the user can issue an interruption job by selecting one of these. Included in the icons displayed in the list are icons corresponding to the device control program to be selected and executed in the event that an interruption job is issued, and the user issues an interruption job by selecting one of these icons. Further, the user can tell which interruption jobs can be issued by viewing the information relating to the device control programs.